Creation Care
God has placed the care of the earth into our hands. The people of St. Stephen’s Church seek to be good stewards of God’s creation.
O merciful Creator, your hand is open wide to satisfy the needs of every living creature: Make us always thankful for your loving providence; and grant that we, remembering the account that we must one day give, may be faithful stewards of your good gifts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Collect for the Stewardship of Creation
The Book of Common Prayer
Creation Care Committee
A group of parishioners and staff meet regularly to explore ways to improve our environmental practices as individuals and as a parish community, and make recommendations to our vestry. Activities have included:
- Hosting films at St. Stephen’s as part of Richmond’s environmental festival;
- Bringing speakers to the church for the entire community;
- Planting and tending a pollinator garden (pictured);
- Offering electronics recycling events;
- Hosting an environmental book group.
These are just some of the ways we demonstrate our commitment to this work. If you would like to be part of these efforts please let us know. Parishioners serving as the group’s conveners are Bill Gray and Bill Davis; the staff liaison is Anna Jones.
Parish Practices
In addition to the work of the creation care committee, the parish has initiated several ministries, practices, and projects to address environmental concerns.
- In 2018, we installed a solar array on the roof of the parish house which not only reduces dependence on fossil fuels but prolongs the life of the roof.
- We established our farmers market in part to allow members of the community to purchase local food and reduce their carbon footprint. We also work with community partners such as Shalom Farms to enlarge these efforts.
- Our café uses reusable, recyclable, and compostable utensils, dishes, and cups, and provides different receptacles for each kind of waste.
- We purchase items for our café and our kitchen from local sources whenever possible, include coffee and tea from Rostov’s Coffee and Tea here in Richmond.
- Recycling receptacles are positioned throughout the campus, and we contract with a composting company that can accept more materials than can usually be composted in typical home composter. This reduces waste throughout our parish house and especially in the kitchen where we prepare community suppers and receptions as well as foods to be sold in the May Fair House.
St. Stephen’s Pollinator Garden
The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.–Genesis 2:15
Our beautiful pollinator garden has been an ongoing project of St. Stephens Creation Care Committee since 2022 and is a reflection of the Episcopal Church’s abiding commitment to environmental stewardship. The health and sanctity of our planet is a matter of grave concern throughout the word, especially the threat posed by the dwindling population of insects. Some studies indicate that as much as 40 percent of the insect world faces extinction. We often forget how vital these small creatures are to the health of our planet. According to the USDA, about 75 percent of the world’s flowering plants and about 35 percent of the world’s food crops need pollination to reproduce. Scientists estimate that one out of every three bites of food we eat is dependent on pollination. In addition, pollinators support healthy ecosystems that clean the air, stabilize soils, and support other wildlife. Clearly, we need pollinators to maintain a healthy world.
St. Stephen’s Church responded to this challenge by turning a once-barren strip of land into a thriving garden designed to attract and sustain pollinators—an outstanding way to address an urgent environmental issue as well as enhance St. Stephen’s grounds. A band of enthusiastic gardeners formed a pollinator garden committee to tackle the major challenges of creating this garden, especially the steep slope of the land, access to a water source, soil quality, and ongoing maintenance. After much discussion, committee member Diana Crook, a professional landscape designer, created an outstanding conceptual garden plan which captured all the features the committee discussed as being essential: emphasis on native plants, a variety of plants that bloom from early spring into late fall, drought tolerance, low maintenance, and most importantly, good sources of food and shelter for pollinators.
The group planted in stages—installing the smaller shrubs first, planting trees to anchor the site, adding native perennials to provide food and habitat for pollinators, and finally using annual plants to add color and attract pollinators. The result is an ever-changing, four-season garden that is both beautiful and beneficial to the well-being of our world.
A pollinator garden is more than an attractive collection of flowers; it is a purposeful habitat that provides food, shelter, and breeding grounds for species that are essential to the functioning of our world. We hope this garden will inspire others to join the crusade for a healthier, more resilient planet.
JoAnne Palmore is a long-time member of St. Stephen’s Church and an avid gardener. For many years she was a May Fair House manager.